Les Fleurs du mal/L'Albatros
The Albatross ('' William Aggeler, "The Flowers of Evil", Fresno, CA: Academy Library Guild, 1954'') Often, to amuse themselves, the men of a crew Catch albatrosses, those vast sea birds That indolently follow a ship As it glides over the deep, briny sea. Scarcely have they placed them on the deck Than these kings of the sky, clumsy, ashamed, Pathetically let their great white wings Drag beside them like oars. That winged voyager, how weak and gauche he is, So beautiful before, now comic and ugly! One man worries his beak with a stubby clay pipe; Another limps, mimics the cripple who once flew! The poet resembles this prince of cloud and sky Who frequents the tempest and laughs at the bowman; When exiled on the earth, the butt of hoots and jeers, His giant wings prevent him from walking. The Albatross (Roy Campbell, Poems of Baudelaire (New York: Pantheon Books, 1952) Sometimes for sport the men of loafing crews Snare the great albatrosses of the deep, The indolent companions of their cruise As through the bitter vastitudes they sweep. Scarce have they fished aboard these airy kings When helpless on such unaccustomed floors, They piteously droop their huge white wings And trail them at their sides like drifting oars. How comical, how ugly, and how meek Appears this soarer of celestial snows! One, with his pipe, teases the golden beak, One, limping, mocks the cripple as he goes. The Poet, like this monarch of the clouds, Despising archers, rides the storm elate. But, stranded on the earth to jeering crowds, The great wings of the giant baulk his gait. The Albatross (George Dillon, Flowers of Evil (NY: Harper and Brothers, 1936) Sometimes, to entertain themselves, the men of the crew Lure upon deck an unlucky albatross, one of those vast Birds of the sea that follow unwearied the voyage through, Flying in slow and elegant circles above the mast. No sooner have they disentangled him from their nets Than this aerial colossus, shorn of his pride, Goes hobbling pitiably across the planks and lets His great wings hang like heavy, useless oars at his side. How droll is the poor floundering creature, how limp and weak — He, but a moment past so lordly, flying in state! They tease him: One of them tries to stick a pipe in his beak; Another mimics with laughter his odd lurching gait. The Poet is like that wild inheritor of the cloud, A rider of storms, above the range of arrows and slings; Exiled on earth, at bay amid the jeering crowd, He cannot walk for his unmanageable wings. Albatrosses (Jacques LeClercq, Flowers of Evil (Mt Vernon, NY: Peter Pauper Press, 1958) Often our sailors, for an hour of fun, Catch albatrosses on the after breeze Through which these trail the ship from sun to sun As it skims down the deep and briny seas. Scarce have these birds been set upon the poop, Than, awkward now, they, the sky's emperors, Piteous and shamed, let their great white wings droop Beside them like a pair of idle oars. These wingèd voyagers, how gauche their gait! Once noble, now how ludicrous to view! One sailor bums them with his pipe, his mate Limps, mimicking these cripples who once flew. Poets are like these lords of sky and cloud, Who ride the storm and mock the bow's taut strings, Exiled on earth amid a jeering crowd, Prisoned and palsied by their giant wings. The Albatross (Geoffrey Wagner, Selected Poems of Charles Baudelaire (NY: Grove Press, 1974) Often, to amuse themselves, the men of the crew Catch those great birds of the seas, the albatrosses, lazy companions of the voyage, who follow The ship that slips through bitter gulfs. Hardly have they put them on the deck, Than these kings of the skies, awkward and ashamed, Piteously let their great white wings Draggle like oars beside them. This winged traveler, how weak he becomes and slack! He who of late was so beautiful, how comical and ugly! Someone teases his beak with a branding iron, Another mimics, limping, the crippled flyer! The Poet is like the prince of the clouds, Haunting the tempest and laughing at the archer; Exiled on earth amongst the shouting people, His giant's wings hinder him from walking. ---------- L’ALBATROS Souvent, pour s’amuser, les hommes d’équipage Prennent des albatros, vastes oiseaux des mers, Qui suivent, indolents compagnons de voyage, Le navire glissant sur les gouffres amers. À peine les ont-ils déposés sur les planches, Que ces rois de l’azur, maladroits et honteux, Laissent piteusement leurs grandes ailes blanches Comme des avirons traîner à côté d’eux. Ce voyageur ailé, comme il est gauche et veule ! Lui, naguère si beau, qu’il est comique et laid ! L’un agace son bec avec un brûle-gueule, L’autre mime, en boitant, l’infirme qui volait ! ------------ DER ALBATROS (übersetzt von Stefan George) Oft kommt es dass das schiffsvolk zum vergnügen Die albatros · die grossen vögel · fängt Die sorglos folgen wenn auf seinen zügen Das schiff sich durch die schlimmen klippen zwängt. Kaum sind sie unten auf des deckes gängen Als sie · die herrn im azur · ungeschickt Die grossen weissen flügel traurig hängen Und an der seite schleifen wie geknickt. Er sonst so flink ist nun der matte steife. Der lüfte könig duldet spott und schmach: Der eine neckt ihn mit der tabakspfeife · Ein andrer ahmt den flug des armen nach. Der dichter ist wie jener fürst der wolke · Er haust im sturm · er lacht dem bogenstrang. Doch hindern drunten zwischen frechem volke Die riesenhaften flügel ihn am gang. ----------- L'ALBATRO. (Traduzione di Riccardo Sonzogno) Sovente, per divertirsi, gli uomini d'equipaggio prendono degli albatri, grandi uccelli marini che seguono, indolenti compagni di viaggio, il bastimento scivolante su li abissi amari. Appena deposti su la tolda, ecco questi re de l'azzurro, inetti e vergognosi, lasciar miseramente penzolare ai loro fianchi, come remi, le grandi ali bianche. Com'è goffo e fiacco questo viaggiatore alato! Lui, già tanto bello, com'è comico e brutto! L'uno gli provoca il becco con la pipa, l'altro imita, zoppicando, l'infermo che volava! Il Poeta è simile al principe dei nembi, che vive fra le tempeste e si ride dell'arciere; esiliato su la terra fra grida di scherno, le ali di gigante gl'impediscono di camminare. ------------ El albatros (Traducción de Eduardo Marquina) Frecuentemente, para divertirse, los tripulantes Capturan albatros, enormes pájaros de los mares, Que siguen, indolentes compañeros de viaje, Al navío deslizándose sobre los abismos amargos. Apenas los han depositado sobre la cubierta, Esos reyes del azur, torpes y temidos, Dejan lastimosamente sus grandes alas blancas Como remos arrastrar a sus costados. Ese viajero alado, ¡cuan torpe y flojo es! Él, no ha mucho tan bello, ¡qué cómico y feo! ¡Uno tortura su pico con una pipa, El otro remeda, cojeando, del inválido el vuelo! El Poeta se asemeja al príncipe de las nubes Que frecuenta la tempestad y se ríe del arquero; Exiliado sobre el suelo en medio de la grita, Sus alas de gigante le impiden marchar. ------------ O albatroz (Traduzido por Delfim Guimarães) ExpandirInformações desta edição Poema publicado em As Flores do Mal Às vezes no alto mar, distrai-se a marinhagem Na caça do albatroz, ave enorme e voraz, Que segue pelo azul a embarcação em viagem, Num vôo triunfal, numa carreira audaz. Mas quando o albatroz se vê preso, estendido Nas tábuas do convés, — pobre rei destronado! Que pena que ele faz, humilde e constrangido, As asas imperiais caídas para o lado! Dominador do espaço, eis perdido o seu nimbo! Era grande e gentil, ei-lo o grotescio verme!... Chega-lhe um ao bico o fogo do cachimbo, Mutila um outro a pata ao voador inerme. O Poeta é semelhante a essa águia marinha Que desdenha da seta, e afronta os vendavais; Exilado na terra, entre a plebe escarninha, Não o deixam andar as asas colossais! ---------- Albatrosul (Tradus de Panait Cerna) Adesea marinarii, voind să se desfete, Atrag pe punți în cursă gigantici albatrozi Ce însoțesc corăbii, în legănate cete, Pe-abisuri îmblănzite prin jertfe de matrozi. Dar cum se văd pe scînduri, stăpînitorii slăvii Devin ne-ndemînatici și înduioșător Își poartă vastele-aripi tîrîș pe puntea năvii Ca vîsle ostenite pe laturile lor. Fochistu-i necăjește și, șchiopătînd, dă zorul Să imiteze mersul sfioșilor captivi - Ridicol, slab și trîndav s-arată zburătorul Intimidat de rîsul matrozilor naivi. Poetul e asemeni monarhului furtunii Ce vizitează norii rîzîndu-și de arcași - Proscris pe sol, în prada prigoanei și-a minciunii, De aripile-i vaste se-mpiedică în pași.